Autoliv Development Ab

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Autoliv Development Aktiebolag

National Electric Vehicle Sweden Ab

Bengt Pipkorn

Yutaka Okamoto

Sture R Andersson

Yngve Haland

Dick Eriksson

Yngve H&aring;land

Koji Korechika

Eric Drake

Jan Olsson

J&ouml;rgen Persson

Pär Sandinge

Karl-Johan Larsson

Jesper Lundström

In an airbag system, an airbag obtained by closing each of opposite end portions of a folded metal tube with an end cap is attached to an attachment surface of a front pillar, and the airbag is deployed along the front pillar with a gas produced by an inflator. Therefore, a pedestrian who collides with the front pillar can be protected by the airbag. Since the portion of the airbag, which is away from the end cap toward an intermediate part of the airbag in a longitudinal direction of the airbag by a predetermined distance, is connected to the attachment surface, which is located outside the end cap in the longitudinal direction of the airbag, with a stay being interposed in between, the difficulty in an inflation in a part of the airbag in the vicinity of each end cap, due to the end cap being pressed against the attachment surface when the airbag is inflating, is prevented. Accordingly, the airbag is allowed to inflate uniformly throughout the entire length of the airbag, and the intermediate part of the airbag in the longitudinal direction of the airbag is prevented from bending in a way that the intermediate part thereof moves away from the attachment surface of the front pillar; thus, a portion of the airbag which is located inward in the bending direction is prevented from being buckled. Accordingly, the deployed shape of the airbag can be stabilized, and thus the shock absorbing capability of the airbag is enhanced.

Airbag system

The invention relates to a safety system for motor vehicles having sensor devices for detecting an accident and an apparatus for reinforcing a carrying construction () of a motor-vehicle roof (), in particular the A, B or C column of the motor vehicle, which protrudes beyond a lower edge of a window opening (), in which an inflatable reinforcing element () is deployed which is fastened to the carrying construction () and can be filled with gas via a gas generator () if corresponding sensor data are present. The invention also relates to a carrying construction () per se.

Safety system

A structure reduces impact force incurred when a structural body located forward of the vehicle interior comes toward the vehicle interior. The structure includes a pressing mechanism arranged forward of the vehicle interior. The pressing mechanism applies a pressure downwardly to the structure in order to restrict the structure from entering into the vehicle interior. The structure further includes a drive member to drive the pressing mechanism in the case of emergency.

Impact reducing structure of vehicle

A safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle comprises at least one plastically-deformable element, defining an interior chamber, which will deform only when subjected to at least a first predetermined force. A source of gas is connected to inject gas into the chamber and a signal generator is provided to generate a signal representative of crash severity which is to be applied to the element during a crash situation or in an anticipated crash situation. The signal generator is connected to a control unit so as to provide the control unit with the signal. The control unit is connected to the source of gas in order to control the source of gas and to inject gas into the interior chamber of the deformable element so as to increase the gas pressure in the chamber when the crash severity signal is substantially in excess of a predetermined threshold. The arrangement provides a structure whose energy absorption characteristics can be varied according to the severity of a crash situation.

Safety arrangement

An air-bag ( ) is mounted in the roof of a motor vehicle to be deployed in front of an occupant ( ) of the vehicle. The air-bag is constrained by tear straps ( ) within the air-bag to inflate initially as a &ldquo;curtain&rdquo; in front of the occupant of the vehicle, that curtain only having a relatively narrow thickness (t). When the tear-straps break, the bag has a more rounded configuration. The bas is releasably retained within a recess ( ) which initially houses the bag. When the bag is fully inflated, the bag becomes totally separated from the recess, to prevent the bag forcing the head of the occupant rearwardly as the torso of the occupant moves forwardly during an accident.

Air-bag and a method of deploying an air-bag

Growing community of inventors

Sävedalen, Sweden

Bengt Pipkorn